TEAM HERALD [email protected] PANJIM: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has reiterated its demand that Digambar Kamat-led Government should reverse its decision on Medium of Instruction (MoI). The party, however, has said that the issue would not be entangled with their stand on Rajya Sabha ticket. Addressing media persons, NCP's Goa observer Bharati Chawan stressed that "if the issue is raised again in the Cabinet, both NCP ministers will vote against it". Chawan Saturday said that they had met Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, three days earlier and had asked him to reverse the decision. Kamat, however, was non-committal on the issue, she claimed. NCP leader lamented that the final Cabinet decision on MoI would be based on majority and since they don't have majority in the Government, it is becoming difficult for them to force the Government into reverting their decision. "Government should respect the public sentiments and should not enforce their wishes on public. Keeping in mind elections, which are scheduled next year, Government needs to consider public view at large and roll back its decision", Chawan demanded. When asked, she said that NCP would not be contesting Goa seat for the upper house. "The decision to support Rajya Sabha candidate would be taken by High Command," she said. Chawan, who faced barrage of questions during press conference, said that the party will not decide its stand on Rajya Sabha by relating it to MoI issue. "Our stand is clear on MoI and the same has been conveyed to Chief Minister. But in a coalition, there are various other issues that matter. We cannot take stand on single issue", she said. Responding to a question, whether party will support a candidate backing local language as MoI, for Rajya Sabha seat, Chawan said that the decision will be taken only after consulting high command. On Friday, NCP had meetings with its core committee, executive committee, members of National Integration Cell, block president and also with members of ST cell. During these series of meetings, NCP has decided to incorporate members of the different communities such as Gujarati, Marwari, Bengali, who are living in Goa for last several years into the party wing. http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Main%20Page%20News/Reverse-MoI-decision-NCP/49480.html
